10 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Security Policy and Posture

Always Treat Security with the Highest Priority

When setting up any social media account, review the security and privacy settings and enable them to the highest level possible. Do not put any data or information that is not necessary - only the essential information should be entered. Make sure to enable multi-factor authentication and opt for using an authenticator app over SMS option, which is less secure, according to Joseph Carson, director at Thycotic.

Social media is a culmination of tons of information being converged in one location, which makes it a vulnerable target. As Andre Bagrin, CEO of My Digital Shield points out, when phone calls, video conference information, pictures, chat logs, etc. are all stored in a central location via social media, a potential hacker has access to just about everything, quickly and easily.

"Because social media has become so central, someone really does have the ability to essentially highjack someone's life," Bagrin adds. "You can become a victim through your social accounts and not even know right away. Potential job opportunities can be cut short among many other unfortunate repercussions."

Social media can become a security nightmare in a couple of ways, says Rob Sadowski of RSA, the Security Division of EMC. First, social media can be used to distribute malicious content (malware, malicious links), and the likelihood of users engaging with that content is much greater because it comes from friends or known contacts they trust. Second, personal details shared on social media can be very useful for hackers looking to compromise users' identities or find high-value targets for attacks, fraud, or cybercrime.

Improve your social media security posture by considering the following tips on social media best practices for business.

Sue Marquette Poremba has been writing about network security since 2008. In addition to her coverage of security issues for IT Business Edge, her security articles have been published at various sites such as Forbes, Midsize Insider and Tom's Guide. You can reach Sue via Twitter: @sueporemba

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